The present invention relates generally to a clamping system for mounting objects on a suitable support which may be a pole, table top, or any other stable support member, and is particularly concerned with a clamping system suitable for mounting medical equipment and the like in a readily accessible fashion.
In the medical field, a large number of instruments and other items are commonly needed for patient monitoring and treatment, both in hospitals and outpatient clinics, as well as for home treatment purposes. The necessary medical equipment must be suitably supported adjacent the patient while in a hospital bed, while the patient is being transported to and from different locations in a hospital or clinic such as an operating room, treatment or diagnostic facility, and while undergoing treatment, for example. Instruments and other items commonly in use adjacent patients include IV bottles and IV pumps, heart monitors, and other treatment and monitoring devices.
IV bottles are normally hung from suitable hangers at the top of telescoping IV pole stands. Medical equipment such as IV pumps may then be clamped to the pole either permanently or temporarily. However, this can make the IV pole unstable since such instruments are typically quite heavy. Also, the heavy pump must be supported with one hand in the proper position while the clamp is secured to the pole, which is relatively difficult and inconvenient for medical personnel. The instrument must be unclamped and moved to a new location repeatedly both when the patient is moved and at the end of a treatment, and also if the instrument malfunctions. Current clamping systems do not allow instruments to be moved from place to place easily.
When a large number of instruments are required for treatment and monitoring purposes, a single IV pole will not provide sufficient support area or stability. However, since the instruments are relatively fragile and it is important that they operate continuously, it is undesirable simply to place them on a table top where they could be knocked off. Current clamping systems are normally designed for securing to one type of support surface in a fixed orientation, which is also not always convenient.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,299 of Gorton et al., for example, a clamp fixture for supporting a medical instrument on a variety of different support structures is described. However, the instrument must be held while the clamp mechanism is engaged, and the mechanism is relatively difficult and complex to use.